Financial Aid Verification

The federal government requires each college or university to verify, or confirm, the data reported by students and their parent(s) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Kent State University’s Student Financial Aid Office is a member of the U.S. Department of Education's Quality Assurance Program. Therefore, the Student Financial Aid Office selects approximately 15% of students for the Verification process. The Verification process ensures that all students receive the appropriate amount of financial aid for which they are eligible.

If I receive my Student Aid Report and it says I am selected for verification, what do I need to do?
Kent State University participates in the Quality Assurance Program, which allows the Student Financial Aid Office (and not the federal government) to determine which students will be selected for verification and requests the appropriate documentation directly from the student and/or parents. If your Student Aid Report indicates you were selected for verification and you plan to attend Kent State University, you can disregard that message from the federal government. However, if the student is selected for Verification by Kent State University, the Student Financial Aid Office will contact the student and request the appropriate documentation. Participation in the Verification process is not optional. If the student does not submit the requested documentation, the student will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid as a Kent State University student and parents of dependent students will not be eligible to receive a PLUS loan.

How can I tell if I have been selected for Kent State University's verification process?
If the student is selected for verification based on Kent State University's verification guidelines, the Student Financial Aid Office will contact the student and request the appropriate documentation. Required documentation usually includes, but is not limited to:

Verification Worksheets

Student’s Federal IRS Tax Return Transcript from the IRS

Student’s W-2 form(s)

Parent's Federal IRS Tax Return Transcript from the IRS

Parent’s W-2 form(s)

An IRS Tax Return Transcript can be obtained by visiting www.irs.gov or by calling 1-800-908-9946. Additional documentation may be requested depending on the student's specific situation.

Typically, students can expect to receive notification of being selected for verification within 10-14 business days after the Student Financial Aid Office receives the student's FAFSA results from the federal processor. If requested, all verification forms can be found at www.kent.edu/financialaid/forms, or by clicking the link below.

What happens after verification is complete?
The verification process generally takes two weeks from the date the Student Financial Aid Office receives all requested information. You will receive notification on the student’s FlashLine account when all the requirements for verification have been satisfied. You will then receive a Financial Aid Award Letter outlining your financial aid awards. If you were already awarded federal or state financial aid and your financial aid eligibility changes as a result of Verification, you can review the changes to your financial aid awards on FlashLine.

Please contact the Student Financial Aid Office if you have any questions or concerns.

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